I saw Tyson's final moment

THE last person to see tragic Tyson Brown alive has told how he will never forget the look in his friend's eyes before he drowned.

Tom Slade, who was swimming in the Crazies Hill lake with Tyson on Friday, paid a touching tribute to his mate who he called, in street talk, "the biggest rude boy and badman I have ever met".

In a letter to his pal he also writes: "Just before you went under you looked at me in my eyes and all I can say is the way you looked at me it will never leave me. Your eyes told me a small

sentence and that sentence is not goodbye - it's later on bruv."

Yesterday friends of Tyson, who have been holding a vigil since the teenager's death, scrubbed graffiti from shop shutters and signs in front of the St John Ambulance headquarters, on which they had sprayed Tyson's name.

Tom, 17, suffered hypothermia as the pair swam in a lake behind a house in Crazies Hill and in the same letter he says how Tyson had made him a "stronger person".

He told of when he first met Tyson in Ashenbury Park and how the 16-year-old, who was hugely popular among the young community, had inspired him.

He said: "I don't think I ever sore (sic) you without a smile on your face no matter where you were or what you were doing you always had a ‘Tyson grin'. You've changed me and made me stronger as a person you've put a big impression on me and I love you for that.

"You will always have a place in my heart and you know that.

"Thoughts and memories is all I have of you now, but I know you're happy up above so I'm happy down here.

"You're always on my mind I carnt (sic) stop thinking of you."

Becky Trotman, spokeswoman for St John Ambulance, thanked the

youngsters for cleaning up the graffiti,

She said: "We appreciate that they have taken the time and been big enough to admit what they have done was wrong. It's nice for Tyson's family that he can now be remembered for who he was and not the troubles of the last few days."

Concerned neighbours called police after up to 200 youths paid nightly tributes to their friend by gathering outside the shops in Brecon Road

playing loud music.

With the assistance of Tyson's family and police, the mourners moved the vigil to Ashenbury Park, where they vow to continue their tribute until his funeral at Woodley Baptist Church on Wednesday.

The youths have come under fire from neighbours, but Woodley beat officer PC Jen Banfield urged the

community to be patient as the teenagers are still in shock.

She said: "They know what they did was wrong but they are young and that was their way of coping with it.

"They know what they did was wrong and they are now trying to make amends."

A procession will take place from Tyson's home, in Tiger Close, to the Baptist Church in Hurricane Way for the 1pm funeral on Wednesday.

Around 150 of Tyson's friends are expected to walk behind the cars.

PC Banfield added: "After the funeral I will back to policing as normal and I won't be quite so lenient as I have been. I'd like to assure residents we are not ignoring the youths but we're calling for people to remember their age."